Sunset continues to rise as Knights lead district race after edging Reagan 14-7

In past years, the Sunset football program has usually been staring up at the rest of its district from the bottom.

The Knights now look down from the top and are enjoying the view.

This following Thursday afternoon when the Knights, who have not tasted the postseason since 2009, traveled to Ronald Reagan High School for a key District 16-7A contest against the Bison and came way with a 14-7 victory.

The win moved Sunset to 4-1 overall but 4-0 and alone in first place in a packed nine-team district with Mater Academy and Miami Springs also unbeatean at 3-0.

“We’re just taking it week by week. I tell the kids every week, our goal is to be 1-0 at the end of the week and that’s what we accomplished again this week,” said Sunset coach Joe Petisco.

“I hope we do stay under the radar. Sure it’s rarified air for this program and I tell these kids we’re in uncharted waters, but we just have to keep showing up to work everyday and keep our foot on the gas pedal. It’s a real gauntlet in this district.”

If Petisco could thank anyone when the game was over, it was his running back Javier Zuniga. Zuniga capped off a tremendous 21-carry, 240 yard, two-touchdown day when he bolted 58 yards for a tiebreaking touchdown with just over nine minutes left.

“Javi’s the heart and soul of this football team,” Petisco said. “The kids, they all rally around him. He’s the first one in and last one out everyday. We needed every ounce out of him today and we got it. He was huge.”

Zuniga also scored from six yards out midway through the second quarter to tie the game at seven after Reagan (1-3, 1-2) had taken a 7-0 first quarter lead on a 30-yard touchdown pass from Hector Vargas to Gonzalo Pirela.

“I just had to talk to to my O-line and tell that it was time to step up today. Without them working hard up front, nothing happens,” said Zuniga, who took the county rushing lead with his performance at 682 yards.

“As long as they give me a crease, I take it from there and do it for my team. It feels great to be 4-0 in the district and no we just have to keep it going.”

Everything Zuniga did almost went for naught as one final Bison drive got them to the 39 with 30 seconds to go when, on third-and-10, Vargas found Luis Yepez open deep behind the secondary for a certain touchdown but Yepez couldn’t handle the throw. Sunset linebacker Jose Oliva sacked Vargas on the next play to end it.